


I Will Find You

by I_am_Moonstruck (orphan_account)



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cruciatus Curse, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tina and Newt will protect each other until the very end, Tina is kidnapped
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-05-02 23:54:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14556360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/I_am_Moonstruck
Summary: Tina dreamed about him again.Those nights, few and far between, where no sounds leaked down into the dark and draughty basement, sleep dragged her deeper than she ever knew it could, and she and Newt were together again. None of this mess with Grindelwald had ever happened, and she was safe and warm.





	1. Chapter 1

Tina dreamed about him again.

Those nights, few and far between, where no sounds leaked down into the dark and draughty basement, sleep dragged her deeper than she ever knew it could, and she and Newt were together again. None of this mess with Grindelwald had ever happened, and she was safe and warm.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she slipped from the world of the dream back into reality. Newt wasn’t coming. She was alone. Forgotten. It had been about two weeks since she had been snatched from her apartment. The memories flooded back, as they did over and over again. She felt that stabbing fear once more, like the floor had been ripped from under her and she was in freefall.

It had been sometime around late October. It must be November, now, mustn’t it? It was so hard to keep track of the days when she couldn’t see the sun. The orange and brown leaves had been whirling off the trees as she said goodbye to Newt and Jacob and started on her way home. Queenie was coming home a bit later than usual that evening. She had whispered excitedly in Tina’s ear that she had something important to tell her. Tina could still recall the smells as she walked home, that particular autumnal scent of wood smoke on a chilly evening, the aroma of cooking spices as she walked through their neighbourhood, the smell from the piles of swept-up fallen leaves. For a moment she held them perfectly in her mind, but then the smell of dried blood, of damp, of rotting wood, came back like a slap in the face.

As she put her key in the door Tina smiled as she remembered an awful joke Newt had told. That hadn’t stopped her from laughing. Somehow Newt made the most terrible jokes seem hilarious. Turning the key and walking in, she hadn’t felt like anything was wrong. She never noticed anything out of the ordinary, no feeling that someone else had been here; no sixth sense, that had she listened, could have averted this whole disaster. Tina replayed this moment in her mind, over and over, trying to find something that she could have done differently.

She relived it in slow motion. She closed the door behind her, shrugging off her scarf and dropping her keys on the little table in the hall. At the sound of footsteps on those creaky wooden floors, her heart missed a beat. She knew Queenie wasn’t home. She wouldn’t even finish work for another hour. And that didn’t sound like the clicking of Queenie’s heels.

 Upon meeting the eyes of Percival Graves, his broad shoulders framed in the kitchen doorway, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach.

“Mr Graves, what- what are you doing here?” This wasn’t right at all.  His gaze was icy, and as hard as steel. Tina’s stare flicked over his shoulder. The acrid whiff of something burning pricked at her nose. Emblazoned on the kitchen wall, charred and smoking, was Grindelwald’s mark. The Deathly Hallows.

The blood drained from Tina’s face. Instinctively she slid her wand down her sleeve into its comfortable grip in her hand. Graves had raised his wand and before she could blink Tina was caught by an _expelliarmus._ Her wand flew through the air and he caught it in one deft swoop.

“Mr Graves, what are you doing?!” she shouted, adrenaline roaring in her veins. He moved toward her but she had already darted for the door.

“ _Stupefy!”_ he growled.  It was his voice, it was the auror boss’s voice, but it couldn’t be him, it couldn’t really be him. No, that was impossible. It didn’t make any sense.

The burst of red light hit her in the back and threw her across the hallway, into the wall. Tina lay on the ground gasping, the breath knocked out of her.

With that distinctive _crack_ two men apparated into place beside her, wrenching her arms behind her back.

“Mr Graves, please…” she whispered, her voice hoarse with fear. “What is this? What’s going on?”

Grave’s face screwed up in an expression of disgust. With a vicious jab of his wand, everything faded to black.

 

When Tina blinked awake, it was so dark she may as well have still had her eyes closed. With a groan she pulled herself into a sitting position. Her muscles were stiff and sore from the cold stone floor. The clinking weight around her wrists confirmed her worst suspicions. But how long had she been here?

She forced herself to take a deep breath, _in…out_ , in an effort to dispel the rising panic. All those years of auror training, she could do this. She could get through this. She could find a way out.

Her heart was thumping against her ribs. Despite the sick feeling in her stomach she began to explore the room with her hands. The chain scraped against the stones as she felt along the ground until she reached a wall. She crawled alongside it until her hands brushed against wood, against stairs. Her breathing had become fast and loud.

It was then she heard the footsteps. Powerful, authoritative footsteps echoed from above. Kneeling against the bottom step, Tina’s gaze snapped up to what would be the top of the stairs. A spell was muttered, the lock clicked.

A rectangle of light spilled from the doorway. Her unaccustomed eyes were practically blinded by the sudden brightness. She fell back onto her butt, squinting to see the figure advancing down the stairs.

That languid stride, the flowing art-deco robes; it was none other than Graves.

He stared down at Tina, an eyebrow cocked.

“Tina…”

Tina glared up at him. Hands in his pockets, he took another leisurely step toward her.

“Stay _away_ from me!” she hissed, scooting backwards from him.

“Tina…” he said again, though this time his voice was different. As she watched in horrified silence, his face started to change, his dark hair began to bleach and a wicked smile crept across his face. Grindelwald.

“Tina Goldstein…” he purred. “This does not have to be difficult. I have but one question that requires… your expertise.”

Anger boiled in Tina’s chest. There was no way she was betraying Macusa, or the other aurors. Over her dead body. It must have shown on her face, because Grindelwald smirked, rolling his knobbly wand delicately between bony fingers. He suddenly swooped down so they were face to face, the tip of his wand tracing across her neck. His pale eyes stared relentlessly into hers. His voice was like an icy wind as he whispered in Tina’s ear.

_“Where is Newt Scamander?”_

Newt.

Tina took a breath that shook in her lungs, willing her nerve to be as hard as rock. Fear filled her to the brim at the thought of Newt being in danger, but she spat out the words as if they blazed with the fires of hell.

“I will – _never_ – tell you.”

Grindelwald rose slowly to his full height, an expression of cold appraisal broken by the smile twitching at his lips.

“Very well, Miss Goldstein.”

 

“ _Crucio_.”


	2. Chapter 2

The silence was the hardest part.

All her life, Queenie had been accompanied by the gentle humming of Tina’s thoughts. Respecting her sister’s privacy, she rarely listened in, but it was her presence that mattered. The sisters were so close that Queenie could often sense Tina’s emotions halfway across New York. Now, it was the total radio silence that scared her most. She knew in her gut that Tina was out there somewhere. She refused to believe any differently, but day by day she became more frightened.

She glanced at the wall where the Deathly Hallows had been left for them to find. A warning. When the aurors came they removed any evidence of Grindelwald’s mark, but she still thought of it when her gaze fell across the wall.  

Queenie picked up the Macusa embossed letter again. She had read it so many times it was seared into her memory. _We are doing everything we can to locate Auror Tina Goldstein…Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones…Signed Serafina Picquery, Madame President, Macusa._

Her eyes filled with tears again, and she bit back a sob as they spilled hotly down her cheeks. There was a gentle knock at the door. It startled her so much she knocked over her coffee, long gone cold. With a flick of her wand she vanished the mess. She wiped her tears as she went to the door. She knew before she opened it that Newt was on the other side.

_People are easiest to read when they’re hurting._ She’d said that to him, long ago. The pain in Newt’s mind was like storm waves crashing against the coast, relentless and overpowering. She wondered if he was keeping his head above the water.

Queenie’s heart broke a little more seeing him there. As usual, one hand clutched his case. His shoulders were hunched and his gaze was downcast, though his eyes flicked up to meet Queenie’s for a brief moment.

“Queenie, I…”

She reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.

“Oh Newt, come in, you don’t look well,” He closed the door softly behind him and they sat together on the couch. Even Pickett seemed subdued, barely peeking out from behind the lapel of Newt’s coat.

“Newt, you haven’t been sleeping, have you?”

Newt didn’t meet her gaze, but Queenie knew his eyes had filled with tears.

“I…can’t sleep, if I know Tina’s out there, and she needs us. I can’t stop…thinking about it all, I just—” He cut off abruptly. The pain in his mind was deafening. Queenie reached out and rested her hand on his arm. She was afraid that Newt would cut everybody out and retreat into himself. He wasn’t great at making human connections at the best of times.

She couldn’t lose him too.

“You need to take care of yourself too, Newt,” Queenie whispered. “I know you’re doing everything you can, but you need to rest.”

Newt sighed, leaning back into the couch and meeting Queenie’s distraught expression with his own.

“I know, but…Gnarlak lied to me. He sent me on - on a wild goose chase.” His voice was bitter. His hand went to Pickett protectively at the mention of the goblin. “I shouldn’t have trusted him, but I was desperate.”

A sob hitched in Queenie’s chest as she felt the ache in his heart coupled with her own, and she sank into Newt’s embrace, her arms tight around his shoulders.

“We’ll find her, Queenie,” he whispered, as tears slid down his cheeks. “We’ll find her.”

Tina had been thinking about love. About Queenie and their parents. About Newt.

The occamies had probably hatched by now. She could bet that the fwoopers, Lyra and Tom, had made some sort of move on each other. The baby graphorn was probably so big now. And Newt? Oh her precious Newt. Had Grindelwald and his henchmen abducted him too? Is that why he hadn’t come yet? The sobs seemed to rise from every inch of her, cradling her broken heart in heaving breaths.

No matter what happened, Tina never spilled a drop about her friends. Well, that she remembered; sometimes she felt so delirious with exhaustion, she couldn’t be sure what she was saying. The fear that she had put her friends in danger gnawed constantly at the back of her mind.

She drifted in and out of waking, her arms cushioning her head as best they could from the cold hard ground until the growling in her stomach prevented all hope of sleeping, of going back to that dream-world where everything was good.

She sat up and stared around the cellar with bleary eyes, grown accustomed to the darkness. She had combed through it, again and again for anything at all she could use to get herself out of here. There wasn’t much to search through.

She had made several escape attempts, of varying success. They always caught her in the end. But she had to try.

Hope was a funny thing. It didn’t quite feel like hope in the traditional sense, but Tina was determined to hold on. She had become an auror when all those people said she’d never make it. And she was a damn good auror too. Queenie had always said she was as stubborn as they come. Well now it was time to put that trait to good use. Grindelwald was getting nowhere.

 

Once again she was dragged upstairs into the blinding light. Grindelwald was waiting. A wolfish grin stretched across his face, but didn’t reach his eyes.

“Miss Goldstein…”

Tina rolled her eyes.

“We have someone here who would like to see you.” He snapped his fingers, an abrupt sound that echoed around the chamber. The door at the far side of the room opened and one of Grindelwald’s followers strode in, with Queenie Goldstein in tow.

Tina’s heart seemed to stop. Her blood ran cold. No thoughts could push past the lightning strike of fear in her mind.

Queenie had terror in her eyes. “Tina…” she whispered.

Tina reigned in her racing emotions. She glanced at Grindelwald. He was watching her every move with a thirst in his eyes. He wanted her to break.

She looked back at Queenie.

_Queeenie,_ she thought, _blink twice if it’s really you._

Her expression hadn’t changed. Queenie never ignored Tina if she called out in her thoughts, even to the extent of waking her up from her nightmares. _Queenie!_ She was practically shouting in her thoughts. _Can you hear me?!_

Her hands shaking, Tina turned to Grindelwald.

“I know that is not my sister,” she said in the most level voice she could manage. “I can see right through your scams, Grindelwald.”

His face twisted in a sneer. With a wave of his wand, the image of Queenie disappeared, like smoke in the wind.

Tina stared at the space where the likeness of her sister had stood. She couldn’t help but wish it had been Queenie, because then at least someone would know where she was. As is, it must seem like she had vanished off the face of the earth.


	3. Chapter 3

Newt Scamander crept through the hallways, hardly daring to breathe. One foot in front of the other, knees bent, wand at the ready. He put a hand to the lapel of his coat, where Pickett was shifting anxiously. The warm weight of Dougal was resting on his shoulders, invisible.

The demiguise slid down his arm and landed silently on the polished wooden floor, slipping around the corner to scout ahead. Newt waited, his heart pounding in his chest like it would bruise the skin. This had to be where they were keeping Tina. If it wasn’t, he didn’t know where else to look. This manor was far more heavily guarded than anywhere he had been before. If he listened hard, he could just about hear Frank causing mayhem outside. Once a thunderbird got going, there wasn’t much anyone could do to stop it.

Dougal’s hairy silver arm became partially visible, beckoning Newt forward. This house was like a labyrinth. They only had so much time before whoever was in charge realized that the rampaging thunderbird was just a diversion.

They entered a large, sparse room. Newt had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Adrenaline was zapping through his veins like electricity. Dougal pointed to a door on the far side of the room. For a moment his blue, crystalline eyes were visible and met Newt’s. They exchanged a look he would never be able to put into words. Newt nodded, though he had difficulty swallowing past the lump in his throat.

He crossed the room quickly, scanning all around him for threats. He stood in front of the door. Deep down he knew this was the place, but he was afraid of what he would find on the other side. Dougal settled on his shoulders, arms wrapped securely around his neck. It was some comfort. Newt’s hand shook as he lifted Pickett down to the lock. If this _was_ Grindelwald’s work, _alohomora_ wouldn’t cut it.

He glanced over his shoulder. The house was almost silent. The image of the Deathly Hallows scrawled on the Goldstein’s wall flashed into his mind. This whole building had a seeping sense of malice about it.

The lock clicked. Pickett scuttled up his sleeve.

Newt took a deep breath. He placed a hand on the doorknob. All of a sudden courage surged through him and he threw open the door. Tina was down there. He knew it.

“ _Lumos,”_ he whispered. White light illuminated an old wooden staircase. Beyond that, the darkness was impenetrable. He raised his wand higher, his head sweeping side to side, scanning for threats. His heart jolted when the light fell upon a figure lying on the ground.

“Tina,” he breathed, and dared to hope, to pray that…he couldn’t finish the sentence, he couldn’t think about that.

He was at the bottom of the stairs in a heartbeat. Relief surged through him. It was Tina.

He was on his knees beside her.

“Tina. I’m here,” he whispered, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She was curled up in a tight ball. “I’m here, and I’m going to bring you home. Tina?”

Newt put his head near her chest. She was breathing. It was light but she was breathing. He let his fingers brush gently against her cheek. She was as cold as ice.

“Tina, I’m here. Everything will be alright, I’ve got you.” His voice shook. Newt scanned over her, her injuries, and his heart broke. Carefully, carefully, as if his touch could shatter her like glass, Newt lifted Tina and held her against him. He rocked back and forth, brushing strands of dark hair away from her face. Tears dropped down his cheek. She was so pale.

“My love, I’m here, I’ve got you now. I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head, holding her as if he would never let her go again.

He glanced down. Pickett was already working on the chains that bound her wrists. Dougal was keeping watch at the door. Newt stroked Tina’s cheek. Her eyelids began to flutter and slowly, slowly, she opened her eyes.

                           

It had been a lovely dream.

Tina dreamed of Newt again, feeling as though there were Christmas lights twinkling in her chest. She thought of him as they were, that day in spring where they got caught out in the rain. The heavens had opened and droplets poured from the sky, pattering the grass and the buds on the trees, hissing against the path. They had run breathless with laughing, clutching each other’s hand, to shelter from the downpour. The chirping of the birds had been loud and clear, the smell of the earth after it rains wafting to her nose, and Newt’s smile, his eyes sparkling with joy.

The dream changed, and she was sitting on the couch in their apartment, lit by the candles floating in the air. The smooth caramel tones of the gramophone filled the room. Queenie was teaching them some Charleston moves. Newt fiddled with the gramophone until Queenie’s chosen tune came on, tapping his feet along in rhythm. Tina watched in amusement as she skipped, kicking her legs out on the beat. Queenie had always been great at dancing.

Tina however, managed to get just a few steps right before muddling it, giggling as she and Jacob flailed around in the attempt. She grabbed Newt’s hands and pulled him to his feet. He danced awkwardly at first, and their attempts at dancing together made Queenie sigh in mock exasperation.

“You’re all hopeless!” she giggled, skipping and kicking, taking Jacob’s hands and leading him in a sequence.

A new song came on and Tina and Newt finally got into the rhythm of it, twisting and flicking their heels up, swinging with the music. They bumped into each other and Tina laughed into his shoulder, his hand falling lightly onto her hip.

 He raised her hand and twirled her around, and even now Tina could almost trick herself that she could hear the music, feel the glow of the firelight, and taste the gigglewater bubbles on her tongue. But clearest of all was the smell she associated with Newt; the summer sweetness of grass and hay, and something like pine needles.

Tina breathed deeply. Surprise flickered inside her that it didn’t fade like the rest of the dream did.

 

“Newt…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thank you all for reading/leaving kudos! So it's been a long time, I know, sorry. I wrote this a long time ago, so obviously it isn't canon-compliant with Crimes of Grindelwald, but anyway. I'd love to hear what you think.

Her eyes were of the deepest melting brown, chestnut flecked with honey gold; eyes that swelled with recognition, confusion, with hope, cut with an edge of fear.  
“Newt?”  
His voice was lost for a moment.  
“I’m here, Tina. I’m here.” He touched his forehead to hers, sighing in relief. “I’m going to bring you home.”  
Tina stared up at Newt in disbelief. Was it only a dream? Her eyes took in every inch of his face, every freckle on those features she knew so well.   
Suddenly fear struck her to the bone.   
“Newt, where did we first meet?” Every muscle in her body seemed to tense up. She grabbed at his shoulder in desperation. “Tell me where!” Her heart was racing, how had she let herself believe it? This was just another one of Grindelwald’s tricks, she was a fool, and—  
“I—I bumped into you outside that bank, with the Second Salemers. Tina, it’s all right, I swear it’s me.” He kissed her hand. “I promise.”   
Tina took a shaky breath, “Okay,” she nodded, a weak smile softening her face. Pickett walked up her arm to his spot behind the lapel of Newts coat, casting a concerned glance back at her. After all, she didn’t think Grindelwald would know what a bowtruckle looked like, much less be able to mimic Pickett’s personality with his illusions.   
Dougal clicked at them from the door. They didn’t have much time.   
“Tina, can you stand?”  
She nodded. “I think so.”  
With a lot of help from Newt, Tina got to her feet. Her head spun and her vision distorted. Newt’s arm was around her waist, practically holding her up. He watched her movements with the intensity and care that made his creatures trust him wholeheartedly, and Tina never hesitated to do so.   
“I’ve got you Tina, but we need to move.” They climbed the stairs slowly at first. Tina wasn’t sure how much her aching body could take. Dougal was chirping impatiently at them. On Newt’s command he turned invisible and went to scout ahead.   
Tina looked at Newt. They had reached the top of the stairs and he was sweeping his head to check the coast was clear. She couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. There was a part of her that still believed she was about to wake up, cold and alone in the dark. Tina took a deep breath; this was here, now. Her hand on his shoulder. His arm around her waist.   
They crossed the room quickly. Newt had his wand at the ready.   
Tina had long resigned to the fact she would probably never get her wand back. But that was the least of her worries. She wouldn’t be the first auror to come home wandless.   
Home. She was going home. Hope blossomed in her chest like flowers.  
Her feet slid out from under her as a wave of dizziness flooded her head.   
“Whoa,” said Newt, pulling her back up. Their eyes met. “It’s going to be alright, Tina.” She nodded, still slightly dazed. Then they were moving again.  
They ran down corridor after near identical corridor. This manor was a maze. There were many windows, tall and ornate, layered with charms to prevent escape. Tina had run through these hallways in a panic before, but she never even glimpsed the way out. She held Newt tighter.   
They dashed around the corner.   
“Stupefy!”  
The stunning spell hit Newt in the chest. A cry escaped her lips as they hit the ground together. Newt’s wand clattered against the tiles. He gasped for breath, winded. Tina grabbed his wand.  
“Petrificus Totalus!”  
Grindelwald’s henchman fell back, completely rigid. Two more men came pounding down the hallway. “Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!” She felled them in seconds. Her aim was a little off, but she wasn’t an auror for nothing.   
Newt rose to his knees, rubbing his chest. “Well done, Tina,” he murmured, staring at the stiff bodies littering the floor. Taking her hands he pulled her to her feet as he stood up. His arm around her waist again, they skirted the fallen men.   
“Yours,” said Tina, handing him his wand.   
“Ah yes, thank you.”  
Dougal reappeared in front of them, gesturing wildly for them to hurry. They rounded the next corner, glancing around it first. There was a door; a heavy, imposing door that could only lead outside.   
Tina’s breath was caught in her chest. They charged through the door, and out into the night.   
Thunder bellowed from the clouds, a roaring gale driving the rain with the force of bullets. She was soaked to the skin in seconds. Lightning illuminated the scene like a snapshot; the witches and wizards on the ground, scrambling to their feet again. The wind whipped the breath from Tina’s lungs. Flashes of red and green. Frank shrieked from the centre of the tumult, beating the storm into a frenzy with his powerful wings.   
Newt let out a piercing whistle, trying to catch Frank’s attention. They ran into the darkness, away from the skirmish, the grass wet and cold against Tina’s bare feet. She couldn’t quite believe what was happening. The dewy grass against her feet, the soaking rain, they all seemed like distant sensations. A wave of dizziness washed over her.   
“Whoa,” said Newt, catching her as she stumbled. “I’ve got you Tina, just hold onto me.” He held her tighter than before. She laid her spinning head against his shoulder. He looked fearfully back toward the clash, whistling again for Frank.   
He was looking up at the churning black clouds. “Hold on to me, Tina, I’ve got you,” he murmured. Tina raised her head, gasping when she saw the thunderbird soaring toward them, golden feathers glinting in the flashes of spells that missed their mark. Newt raised his arm, the other tightening around Tina. As Frank swept past, he snatched Newt’s arm in his talons, lifting them both into the air.


End file.
